Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) will start production of the first driverless train for the ongoing phase II project in Sri City on Thursday, February 8.
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According to CMRL officials, a team from the city will visit the facility to observe the beginning of production, and the train will arrive in the city by August.
Unlike the Metro Rail phase I project, which has manual train operations, the 116-km phase II project will get three-coach driverless trains that will run for the first time in December 2025, when the Poonamallee-Porur stretch (a part of corridor 4) opens to the public.
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With CMRL trains having become synonymous with blue, they will boast the same colour scheme in the phase II project, but will be packed with a host of new features, ranging from mobile charging points to digital dynamic route maps.
“In the three-coach train, a part of one coach will be designated as a women only, and these will have pink handrailing. To provide enhanced security, cameras will be placed in the front, side, and rear parts of the train. This aside, the train comes with an array of new elements, including a fire detection system, a derailment detection system, and a obstacle detection system, to improve the safety of commuters,” an official said.
Extensive testing
The testing will commence after the train arrives and will go on for about eight to 10 months.
“These phase II trains will be put through extensive testing from brakes to traction. After static tests, an exclusive area has been earmarked for dynamic trials. Since these are driverless trains being tested on tracks, a specific area with restricted access to staff has been identified. A series of tests and trials will go till the train gets approval from the authorities to run for passenger operations,” another official said.